The Dark Lord's Dark Secret
by Maximoffs forever
Summary: What if there was a whole other side to Voldermort that no one knew about? My first fanfic but I have had it in my head for years.
1. Prologue

**The Dark Lord's Dark Secret**

**Prologue**

**I always have had this image of Voldermort leading two different lives in my head; don't ask me why, I just have. **

**I've also always thought that Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr were having an affair.**

**Barty Crouch Jr is not dead and Bella and Voldermort are ****not**** together!**

**Many of the characters (including Voldermort and Bella) are a lot younger than in the books because my story wouldn't make sense and would be slightly perverted if they weren't.**

**Anyway; enjoy. My first fanfic so please review but be nice.**

Tom Riddle lay in bed thinking about how his latest plot to kill Harry had failed due to the incompetence of the Malfoy family.

It should not have been that hard. All they had to do was keep the boy in the house until he arrived. But no, they couldn't even get that right. It just goes to show that you can not trust anyone.

He sighed and looked down at the woman sleeping peacefully next to him, using his chest as a pillow.

Well maybe there were one or two people he could trust.

He started stroking the woman's straight, jet black hair. It fell in strands onto her face and back. He carefully, so as not to wake her, stroked the hair back from her face so he could gaze at it once again; even tough he knew each detail better than he knew himself.

Her pale, creamy skin almost glowed in the moonlight that was pouring in through the window and her long black lashes fluttered slightly as she dreamed. She had her eyes closed but Tom knew that if she opened them, they would be a deep blue, with a hint of green if you looked hard enough. He had often found himself getting lost in the depths of her eyes. When he felt angry or murderous those eyes were the only thing able to calm him down.

Lying back he thought back to the time when he was happy, almost care free and not trying to take over the wizarding world. Things had been so much simpler then.

**OK that was the prologue, tell me what you think. I promise that the next chapter will be longer.**


	2. First Impressions

**The Dark Lord's Dark Secret**

**First Impressions**

"Then I said no, but you were!"

All the boys in the compartment laughed, one was laughing so much that he had tears running down his cheeks.

"Th-then what happened Ba-Ba-Barty?" he cried.

"Then she didn't know what to say and ran away crying!"

New laughter erupted from the teenagers. Only one of the boys was not laughing, the boy in question was staring out of the window at the raggedy landscape wishing the train journey would end quickly so that he could return to his beloved Hogwarts.

"What's the matter Tom?" One of the boys asked, there was instant silence as everyone stared at their undisputed leader.

"Nothing Rodolphus, I can assure you," replied the boy without looking up. "I'm just wondering what we are going to do in our third year to show the first years who's boss."

"I have some suggestions if you like Tom."

The boys started discussing ways to publicly reveal themselves as the masters of the school.

XXX

"Look, look", "Did you see it", "There's the great hall", "It's so big".

The first years crowded into a little chamber off the great hall waiting to be sorted. Most stood in little groups of three or four but two girls stood alone, alienated from the rest.

They both had black hair and were both of obvious wizarding decent, obvious because they were not surprised at the moving pictures or the clear presence of magic in the castle. But where as one had pale skin with light, delicate features, the other had slightly darker skin with heavy features.

While looking around they caught each others eye and walked towards each other.

"Hello," said the paler girl timidly. "I'm Esmeralda"

"Bellatrix." Whispered the other.

With that the two girls smiled at each other and followed the others into the hall to be sorted.

XXX

"Where do we go," asked Esmeralda. "I don't want to be lost on the first day!"

The two little girls were getting very worried as they fought against the tide of huge students in the corridor.

"There's my sister," said Bella excitedly. "I'll ask her."

They walked towards a large gang of teenagers ranging from second to fifth years and approached a girl with almost white blond hair obviously flirting with a tall boy with the same coloured hair and who, to the girls, looked like a woman himself.

"Oh Lucius," the older girl giggled. "Don't say that, naughty."

Bella touched her sister's elbow. "Cissy," she almost whispered. "I can't find my first classroom, can you help us?"

"Of course not Bella," snapped her sister, waving her away. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Who are these two young ladies Narcissa?" Asked a tall, rather hansom boy of about thirteen.

"Tom," exclaimed Narcissa, "I didn't…I mean you should've…of course Tom. This is my sister Bellatrix and her friend, they're just lost, don't worry; they'll go away now."

"Now, now Narcissa, no need to be rude to our new students. You _are_ in Slytherin aren't you?" He sharply asked the two girls who both nodded quickly, slightly intimidated by the boy who was obviously the leader of the pack. "Well then, we should help those in our house as best we can, don't you agree?" All the others mumbled words of agreement.

"What lesson have you got first then ladies?" he asked charmingly.

"Herbology." Breathed Bellatrix almost inaudibly.

Tom Riddle however had very good hearing. "This way then," He said and started leading the girls outside. "Tell Merrythought where I am won't you Goyle, on second thought _you_ tell him Malfoy."

The two girls exchanged glances as they saw everyone in Hogwarts giving the group of three a wide birth as they made their way to the greenhouses; this boy was obviously someone to be scared of here.

"Sorry for interrupting Professor," said Tom respectfully as he opened the greenhouse door. "But I have two of your students here, they were a bit lost, please don't blame them."

"Yes, yes, of course Tom, so nice of you to escort them here, such a good boy." Smiled the old wizard at the front of the class.

"Thank you sir but I was only doing what anyone else would have done." Replied Tom, faking bashfulness perfectly. "Goodbye sir, goodbye girls." He added as he walked away.

**I'm sorry, I know it's slow but I swear, it will pick up with every chapter.**

**Please review and notice the timid Bella, weird huh?**


	3. A Dip In The Lake

**The Dark Lord's Dark Secret**

**A Dip in the Lake**

**Three years later (Bella and Esmeralda are in their third years and Tom is in his fifth). Please read 'Bella's Downfall' before you read this; it explains a lot.**

**Oh and I didn't mention this before but I do not own anything, if I did I would be richer than the queen by now and not typing on an old computer.**

"How are you coping Bella?"

The two best friends were talking as they were walking in the grounds by the lake.

"OK I guess."

Esmeralda was worried; her friend hadn't been the same since her mother's death four weeks ago. It was supposed to change a person when someone very close to them had died but Bella almost seemed like a different person entirely. No one else would be able to tell the difference because both girls were painfully shy around other people but with each other they were completely open; the joked and laughed and were as loud as anyone else. But nowadays Bella had become more reserved, quieter and less of a joker. She seemed to spend a lot of time thinking and zoning out of conversations they were having. Esmeralda could also sense that underneath the calm mask her friend was wearing, she had huge emotions bottled up, swelling and growing inside of her and Esmeralda knew that anytime soon they would explode.

XXX

"Over here James, throw it over here!"

"Give it back Potter, give it back NOW!"

"Awwwwwww, poor Sniverus, can't he get his wand from mean James? Poor Sniverus."

James Potter laughed as Snape tried to snatch his wand back.

"If you want it Sniverus," said James wickedly. "Come and get it."

He ran away laughing his head off while Severus chased after him.

XXX

"It just hurts you know," said Bella. "It hurts too much for words, but it's a strange kind of pain that you know will never go away because it's just like a Dementor; it sucks all your feelings out of you, every happy emotion you have and all you can think about is the fact that she's gone. My mother's gone!"

XXX

"Come on Snape," yelled James, looking over his shoulder at his pursuer. "You can do better than tha…ohh."

James had not been looking where he was going and had run straight into the two girls.

"Ez!" screamed Bella as her friend fell into the lake.

After regaining his composure James started to laugh.

"You little...!" Bella roared as she leapt at James and had him on the ground while she kicked, bit, scratched, punched and screamed at him.

XXX

Tom Riddle had just come out of the castle in time to see the whole thing. He saw James Potter goading Snape, then accidentally pushing a girl into the lake and he allowed himself a smile when he saw Narcissa Black's little sister taking out all her anger on the boy. But the smile vanished as quickly as it had arrived when he realised that the other girl had not resurfaced.

He quickly started making his way over to the water's edge. Looking into the lake he gulped; the girl had fallen into a part of the lake that was very deep and was known for having Grindylows lurking in the seaweed there.

Without further ado Tom removed his cloak and shoes, put the bubblehead charm on himself and dived into the icy depths of the lake.

He swam down, looking around him for the fallen teenager. He couldn't see her.

Suddenly, Tom felt a disturbance in the water and turned to see the girl thrashing around, trying to get free of the Grindylows slowly dragging her down. He swam towards her and, forgetting he had a wand, started grabbing the little sea demons with his hands and throwing them away. He was failing miserably though as more and more Grindylows started swarming, pulling him down as well as her. In one frantic moment their eyes met, she had the most interesting eyes Tom had ever seen; an endless blue, which at the moment were filled with terror. They then glazed over and shut.

Tom panicked; she didn't have the bubble head charm on her like he had! She couldn't breathe!

He suddenly remembered his wand and brought it out, blasting the Grindylows out of his way. He had to save this girl, he didn't know why but at the time he didn't care if he lived or died, as long as she was safe. Holding her by her waist he pointed his wand up at the surface and shouted "Ascendio!"

XXX

"Now, now, now," panted Slughorn as he tried to praise the mad student of James Potter. "This is no way for a young lady to behave!"

When he and Professor Kettleburn (the Care of Magical Creatures teacher) had separated the young Miss Black from James Potter. Poor Mr Potter looked almost unrecognisable; he had scratches and bruises all over his face and body, blood clumped in his hair and streaked his cheeks and his nose looked like it had been broken in at least three places.

"Wow James," whispered Sirius in awe. "You look worse than that time that Bludger decided you were its new worst enemy.

Just at that moment there was a tremendous splashing sound as Tom Riddle soared from the lake, clutching a young girl and landed on the grass between the battered James and struggling Bellatrix.

"Tom!" exclaimed the two professors in unison before they both rushed towards him.

**Ta da! What did you think? Please review and please give me tips on my writing style; it's very hard to say who I'm talking about without saying their name or by saying he or she. Thanks for reading!**

**And sorry for the really short chapters. I'm trying my best to make them longer, I really am!**


	4. Getting To Know Each Other

**The Dark Lord's Dark Secret**

**Getting to Know Each Other**

After emerging from the lake Tom Riddle had been instructed to take Esmeralda up to the hospital wing in case she was seriously injured. He was supposed to get checked out too in case he was also hurt by the Grindylows but he did not think there was any need. So instead he told the nurse nothing about his dip in the lake so that she would concentrate on Esmeralda.

Tom stayed in the hospital wing as Madam Shaw bustled around Esmeralda; giving her potions to drink, drying off her clothes with her wand and muttering curses about Grindylows under her breath.

After she was done, the stern woman instructed Esmeralda to stay in bed and to not over exert herself, though what she could do in a bed in a full hospital wing, to over exert herself Tom did not know.

As soon as she had finished her lecture the nurse retired into her office to knock back a whole bottle of fire whisky.

Tom strolled over to a chair by Esmeralda's bed, sat heavily in it and leaned back so as to become more comfortable.

"That's quite a friend you have there." mused Tom.

"What?" Esmeralda asked, startled that he was talking to her.

"The girl you were walking with, as soon as you fell into the lake she leaped on the guy who pushed you in."

"Oh, did she, I didn't notice." Esmeralda blushed as she stole a glance at the boy sitting next to her. She knew his name, of course she did; everyone knew Tom Riddle. She had also heard the stories about him; how he liked to assert his authority by terrorising students both younger and older than him, how he did horrible things to people who got on his dark side, how none of the teachers suspected him because he had them all wrapped around his little finger and how, even though he was easily the best looking boy in school he never dated, much to the disappointment of about half the girls in Hogwarts. Esmeralda still remembered the first day at school when this dashing young man had taken pity on her and Bella, two snivelling first years and had personally taken them to find their classroom, but he probably did not and she had just been saved by him again! How embarrassing yet elating!

"She was Narcissa's little sister wasn't she?"

"Pardon?" as she came out of her reverie Esmeralda realised how stupid she must sound having to be asked every question twice. "I mean yes, yes she is."

"But you," Tom murmured "I don't recognise." Tom was lounging back in his chair and to a casual observer he would look disinterested, if slightly board at the conversation but in reality he was staring at Esmeralda, drinking in every little detail he could. She was about average height with long, straight, jet black her that fell to about the small of her back. A few strands of hair were hanging in front of her shoulders, covering part of her heart shaped face. He observed that after he spoke her creamy skin became a lovely pale pink colour as she blushed and her beautiful lapis eyes, surrounded by long black lashes, sparkled with embarrassment and joy. Despite himself Tom found himself smiling. She really was quite beautiful, and when he thought about it she was by far the handsomest girl he had ever seen.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters at Hogwarts?" he asked.

"No," she replied quietly, blushing even more. "I don't have any siblings. It's just me."

"Good." Tom murmured without meaning to.

"I'm sorry?" said Esmeralda. "Did you just say something?"

"No," he replied, mentally kicking himself. "So how are you feeling?"

"Much better thank you." Esmeralda yawned and stretched.

As she stretched Tom couldn't stop his eyes from wondering down to where her pyjama top ended. "What's that," he asked pointing to a huge bruise on her side, just above her hip.

"Oh, nothing." said Esmeralda quickly, hastily pulling her top down. "I must have gotten it while I was in the lake."

Nodding Tom asked "What's your name?"

"Esmeralda, Esmeralda Vane."

"My name is Tom Riddle; would you like to accompany me to the next Hogsmead weekend?"

**Wow, my chapters are really, really, unforgivably short! I'm very sorry about this. They seem to take ages to write but, oh well. I'll try harder next time.**

**The story should start to move faster now so that's good.**


	5. A Sluggish Party

**The Dark Lord's Dark Secret**

**A Sluggish Party**

**I own nothing (I even stole the chapter title) so don't ask me for money as I have none. And if anyone likes X-men Evolution, I'm working on a story I hope will be funny about that.**

**I have finally gotten reviews, I feel so happy I was on a review high all night so I could hardly sleep (small things make me a happy chappy). So here's a really long chapter and a really quick update.**

**Thank you to everyone who's added this to their favourites/story alert and a bid thank you to my two first reviewers hogse and EmpressHimiko and as you requested here's more!**

Tom Riddle was board; it was not unusual for him to be bored, in fact it happened quite frequently. The trouble was that he knew no one who had interesting, stimulating things to talk about because everyone he knew were idiots. Plain and simple. Take the topic of conversation at the moment for example. Crabe was speaking so he didn't expect miracles but even so… toilet paper. Crabe was talking about toilet paper! _Someone kill me now and end my suffering_! He thought somewhat melodramatically.

"…So soft I can't feel a thing." smiled Crabe with a happy smile on his face.

"But I always thought Mulkin's Magical Wipeaways were the best brand." argued Goyle.

Crabe looked at him as if he were stupid, this coming from Crabe. It really was an insult if he thought you were more stupid than him!

"Nah, Tully's Toilet Friend."

"Mulkin's Magical Wipeaways."

"No, Tully's."

"Mulkin's."

"Tully's!"

"Mulkin's!"

"TULLY'S"

"MULKIN'S"

"TULLY'S!"

"MULKIN'S!"

"**TU…**"

"SHUT UP!" roared Tom.

"Excuse me sir…"

"WHAT?" yelled tom turning around to glare at the first year that had the audacity to talk to him.

The first year flinched away; he'd heard of Tom Riddle and his friends. He had heard how they liked to throw first years into the lake just because they felt like it.

"Proff-Proffessor Sllllllughhhorn asked m-m-me to give you th-th-this."

He held out a shaking roll of parchment which Tom snatched, then he looked at the first year again. "Scram." He inwardly smiled as the first year let out a tiny high pitched squeak and ran out of the great hall.

"What is it Tom, another party?" asked Yaxley, a sixth year with sandy, unkempt hair.

"Yes," replied Tom as he scanned the letter. "Tonight in Dungeon three."

XXX

At seven o'clock Tom Riddle made his way down to the dungeons on his own. He had told his companions to go on without him as he needed some time to think, of course he had not told them this; he had just told them not to wait for him without giving a reason. He was dressed in his best dress robes which were not very nice; they were frayed around the edges and faded on the elbows but at least they were black. The reason for their sorry state of course was that they were second hand as were most of his few worldly possessions.

Tom did not bother knocking, he merely pushed the huge black door open and was greeted with a bombardment of noise; music from the band on a slightly raised stage in front of the back wall, people talking loudly to each other, trying to make themselves heard over the raucous laughter of the ghosts and portraits who had obviously been board out of their wits over the Christmas holiday. In the middle of the room a huge dance floor had been laid out, the individual tiles lighting up different colours as countless couples twirled on top of them.

He sighed, he knew Slughorn would try and persuade him to dance with almost every girl in the room; he did it every time there was a dance floor and once again Tom would have to politely decline. He would never be caught dead dancing. It was not that he could not do it, not even that he did not enjoy it, he just felt awkward when the girl was staring at him like he was the first boy they had ever seen.

"Tom, Tom," he was pulled out of his reverie by a jolly, over enthusiastic voice. Oh how he hated this man! "Tom m' boy, how good to see you, glad you could come."

"It's good to be here again Professor."

"Of course it is my boy, of course it is." Boomed Professor Slughorn. "Now come and meet some of my friends.

The large man suddenly gripped Tom's wrist in a fist of steal and started manoeuvring him through the tightly packed crowd of people.

"This is Charlie Noland, chaser for the Norwegian Quidditch team don't you know, this is Bethany Tildy, winner of the best cleaning spell of the year, this is Bathilda Bagshot, author of _A History of Magic_, you've read her books haven't you and this is Lucas Maximoff (1), record for the fastest trip around the world on a flying carpet…"

The list went on and on, after three people Tom turned his mind off and wore an expression of polite interest, kept nodding whenever Slughorn paused and shook people's hands. By now Tom had mastered the skill so much that no one even noticed. He even registered one or two key words that Sluggy was saying and asked questions connected to them, oh yes, Tom Riddle was a master at this!

While pretending to meet everyone, he let his eyes and mind wonder. He started as he recognised a familiar face standing by the fruit punch. It was Esmeralda Vane! She was looking very uncomfortable and was talking in whispers to her friend, the one who had attacked the Gryffindor for pushing her into the lake. Oh what was her name Bethany, Belinda, something like that.

While he was looking her friend nudged her and pointed towards him, he hastily looked back at the person who was answering his question on something along the lines of how best to tame a Sphinx.

"…. Can't fly away, because…hahaha… you can't tame it if it's not there! Hahahahaha!"

"Hahaha, yes, very good Stibbs, very good! Completely drunk by now, I told the waiters not to go near him." He added in an undertone as he dragged Tom away from the swaying Mr Stibbs who was now trying to converse with a pillar.

It took a few seconds for Tom to realise that he was being directed towards the punch bowl where to out of place girls stood.

"Ah Tom, I'd like you to meet my star third year pupil, Esmeralda Vane. She excels at potions and a great many other subjects I've heard.

"Oh sir, I'm not that good there are people who are much better than me…" she said, her cheeks turning a hint of pink.

"Nonsense, nonsense, just because you're quieter than everyone else in the room doesn't mean you're not as good, your practical and written work are miles ahead of everyone else's and I should know; I mark it. All you need is a bit more confidence in class!"

"He's right you know," interjected Tom. "Who cares what other people think, I never do, if you know the answer then just say it. If you spend your life waiting for others approval, you'll never get anywhere."

She looked at him curiously and their eyes met. _My god does she have beautiful eyes_ thought Tom. Perfectly clear and completely free from hate or anger or pain. She's like a baby doe who doesn't know the cruelty of the world yet.

"Well said m' boy, well said." Boomed Slughorn slapping Tom on the back, breaking the connection. Tom smiled politely and Esmeralda looked slightly flustered but Tom was confident that no one had noticed the sudden lapse in his judgement. But one person had, for a moment Tom caught the friend with midnight hair staring at him from under her heavy eyelids. He blinked and she was looking away, he may have just imagined it but he could have sworn she was glaring at him in the 'don't mess with my friend' kind of way, the way that only girls can. He gave his head a slight shake just as the band ended their song.

"Ah capital, Tom, Capital (2). A new song, come along Ms Vane, come along, you must dance with Tom!"

"Wha…I…professor, I" she stammered.

"It really isn't…" Tom started.

"No, no, I'm not taking no for an answer this time Tom, I'm sorry; you never dance and it's time you started! Now off you go!" Slughorn practically shoved them onto the dance floor and the embarrassed couple had no other option than to start dancing.

Slughorn beamed and bobbed up and down as he watched the pair dance elegantly. Clapping his hands together he looked round.

"Oh now we can't have you standing all alone now can we," he beamed looking down at Bellatrix who hadn't moved and hadn't been noticed by Slughorn all evening. "Ah, Rodolphus, Rodolphus!" he called waving someone behind Bellatrix over. She turned round to see a boy of about fifteen walking over, he had brown shoulder length hair, grey eyes and, at the moment, he had a stupid grin plastered across his face. She groaned inwardly. Not him, please not him!

"Rodolphus this is Bellatrix. I can't have her standing by the punch all night! Dance with her."

The boy called Rodolphus turned and looked Bellatrix over, his eyes slowly travelling from the top of her head, down to her feet and then back up again. She glared at him, weren't you supposed to be discreet while checking someone out? Unfortunately, in her opinion, he must have thought her adequate as he offered her his arm. But Bellatrix was not giving up that easily; she refused to move a muscle.

"Come, come now dear," chuckled Slughorn jovially. "I'm not asking you to marry him; just dance!"

_Not marry him,_ Thought Bellatrix, looking at the teenager in disgust _who in their right minds would want to marry_him_!_

XXX

On the dance floor Esmeralda was starting to relax.

_It's not that bad_she thought _at least he can dance_.

She looked around at other couples clumsily stumbling around, girls getting their feet trodden on, guys moving their hands to where they shouldn't go and couples dancing so indecently that it looked like they were mating with cloths on.(3)

Chancing a glance at her partner she could see that he had a look of intense concentration on his face, you would not be able to tell if you were not as close to him as she was. But she could see that his mouth was set and his eyes were like granite as he stared over her shoulder.

They danced well though and when he twirled her around she was amazed to see her best friend dancing with another boy with a look of horror and disgust on her face as she tried to avoid his large feet and sometimes wondering hands.

Smiling a little Esmeralda went back to concentrating on her dance steps.

After what felt like an eternity to the three of them the music ended and Bellatrix walked away from her partner as quickly as she could and headed towards the fruit bowl while Rodolphus pulled a face at her back and walked towards Barty Crouch Jr. to brag about how much she had wanted him.

Blushing Esmeralda was about to join her friend when Tom grabbed her wrist and she reflexively yanked it out of his hand, then looked guilty. "Sorry," she said "I don't like people…I mean I'm just…sorry." She stammered.

Luckily it did not faze him at all. "It's quite alright," he replied gentlemanly. "It was my fault, I shouldn't have done that."

Looking at him Esmeralda couldn't see any resentment or hurt in his eyes, only a glowing intensity that she was shocked to see because she had never heard of Tom Riddle having emotion and because he had spoken so calmly.

"The Hogsmead trip is this weekend, have you thought about going with me?" he asked.

"Oh, I…yes, yes of course. I'd love to!"

**Longest chapter of this I've done, I told you I'd get better, yay! Don't know if the next chapter will be as long as this one, I'll try.**

**(1) For any X-men fans, just couldn't resist (I love Lucas and Wanda as a couple)! Leave me alone; I'm weird and I know it.**

**(2) I've always thought of Slughorn being like Sir William Lucas of the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, I don't know why I just do.**

**(3) A quote from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (I don't own that either)**


	6. Hogsmead

**The Dark Lord's Dark Secret**

**Hogsmead**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated for ages; I've just had a phase of just writing my other fanfic which is longer than this one, even though I started this one about a month before the other one, so that's pretty bad for this fic and I watched every episode of Avatar the last airbender, that's 63 episodes, so there's another excuse for you. Yeh, sorry; I ramble.**

**Anyway, just to recap, Tom finally asked Esmeralda out! Yay!**

**Thanks for the people who read this fic and I apologise for the awful writing and the dreadfully short chapters that don't seem to be going anywhere, but they will. As I said in the first chapter, I've had this idea for going on five or six years now, so it's very hard to get it down in writing because it's my baby and I want to get it right.**

Beneath the lake at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the Slytherin house. In which a slightly nervous Tom Riddle was standing in front of a floor length mirror, tugging slightly at his shirt collar. The reason for his slight anxiety was that he was about to go on a date, the first date he had ever had. Not that he had never been asked out before, it seemed to Tom that every week he received about ten invitations to various activities by members of the opposite sex who fluttered their eyelids and wore much too much make up. But he had never actually accepted one of these pleas for attention, so why was he asking a girl out that he hardly knew? He didn't know himself and it was starting to scare him slightly; he couldn't act the way he usually did around her; he couldn't be cold and calculating, he couldn't judge her at all and it was starting to really worry him. Then he had come out with the ridiculous, stupid and utterly undermining question that had him standing in front of a mirror at ten in the morning adjusting his collar. Something was wrong with him and he was determined to put it right that very day, but he wouldn't make it a terrible date; he didn't have any reason to dislike the girl, so he would be a perfect gentleman and take her out to a nice coffee shop and talk about whatever she wanted to talk about, which would probably be nonsense, then he'd casually break her heart and nothing more of it would ever cross his mind again.

"Hey Tom," panted Yaxley after obviously running up the stairs to find him. "Your girlfriend's in the common room waiting for you."

"Thank you Yaxley," replied Tom curtly. "And how many times do I have to tell you, she is not my girlfriend, I merely asked her on a date out of politeness."

"What ever you say Tom."

"Stop smiling like that; it's suggestive and as I have already told you the reasons for today's excursions I see no need for you to be suspicious about it."

Brushing past a thoroughly confused looking Yaxley, Tom walked down the staircase to meet his 'date'.

As soon as he got to the bottom of the staircase his way was blocked by a crowd of students all converging on one point, probably the door.

"Move." said Tom simply to the back of the seventh years in front of him.

They looked round with disbelieving sneers on their faces until they saw him and quickly let him pass. Using this method of persuasion Tom made it through to the centre of the crowd's attention which was surprisingly not the door.

"Tom!" exclaimed Esmeralda, obviously relieved that he was there.

"Hi," he smiled in return. Cursing himself for smiling and even more for saying something as utterly brainless as 'hi', he offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"Thank you." She took the proffered arm and they made their way through the door.

"That was quite a crowd," commented Tom as the walked out of the gates that marked Hogwart's entrance. "What were they doing?"

"I don't really know," replied Esmeralda somewhat worriedly. "I was just waiting for you when a boy came up to me and started talking to me, he asked me my name and what subjects I was taking and more and more people just started listening in and asking questions and by the time you arrived I honestly felt rather embarrassed."

"Hum," pondered Tom. "A mystery."

They carried on in silence for a while and it was at this time that they noticed how many people were staring at them with different expressions on their faces. Esmeralda noticed how many girls were staring at her with envy, disgust (in the cases of Griffindor's) and even unconcealed hatred. Tom noticed may boys staring at him but not with the usual fear they show when they see him, no this was something else entirely, it wasn't quite anger but it definitely wasn't nice. He also noticed how their eyes slid from him to the girl he was walking with.

Curious, Tom turned to see what was so interesting. All he saw was Esmeralda. She was wearing a long black coat with its collar turned up against the cold, February weather, underneath which she was wearing blood red robes with gold tread depicting a pattern of simple swirls and under that he could just make out a black jumper. He also noticed how her pale skin was just about visible against the white snow around them and how her jet black her was billowing behind her and made her look like a nymph which he had seen pictures of in his care of magical creatures book.

"So where to?"

"What?" Tom noticed that he was making her blush and looked away, noticing that they were in Hogsmead he decided to put his 'breaking her heart' plan into action. "Well I thought we could go to a place called Madame Puddifoot's."

"Oh, I've never heard of it, do you go their often?"

"Yes," he lied. "I take all my dates their." In reality it had been Barty Crouch Jr who had, by Tom's estimation, must have dated every girl in the school at least twice by now who was the person who suggested this place as a good break up environment. In fact, as soon as they walked in the door Tom spotted his ally with a very tearful looking girl by the door.

They sat down at a small table, covered in pink cloth; in fact everything in the tea shop was pink. Tom looked around, slightly alarmed at the copious amounts of his least favourite colour used in the room. Pink curtains, pink table cloths, pink china, pink walls, pink counter and even a pink woman who was bustling towards them with a warm, motherly smile on her face that made Tom feel sick to his stomach.

"Hello m' dears," said the cheerful woman who was obviously the proprietor. "I haven't seen you before but then again I get a lot of new faces in here on Valentines Day."

Tom groaned inwardly, how could he have forgotten that it was Valentines Day? Well very easily if he were being brutally honest as he thought it a waste of time and money, it's not as if you could 'love' another person more on one day of the year, it was ridiculous!

"Can I just have a…"

"Oh, sorry love, it looks like a girl needs comforting over there, my waitress will take your order instead." And she hurried over to the place where Barty was previously sitting, who was now no where to be seen and who's date was in floods of tears.

"Hello," droned an obviously board young witch in her twenties with a note pad in her hand. "May I take you _order_." She saw Tom and was instantly a different person. She tilted her hips so she was leaning on one leg mostly; she started to bat her eye lids and twirled a strand of sandy hair around her finger. "My name's Jenny."

"Hello," he replied curtly, not at all interested. "What would you like?"

"Oh," said Esmeralda who looked slightly bemused at the waitress's behaviour. "I'd like a coffee please."

"Two coffees." ordered Tom.

"I'll be right back." purred the waitress who then hurried off to the kitchen.

"What?" asked Tom, looking at the amused smile on Esmeralda's face.

"Oh come on," she said. "It's obvious to the whole world but not to you?"

"What?" asked Tom getting slightly annoyed now.

"She's flirting with you something awful and you haven't even noticed. I just find it funny is all."

"What do you mean flirting, she was taking our order."

"Think what you like Mr Riddle, but the next time she comes over look at her body language and especially at her eyes, if they look at you any longer your face will be permanently scorched onto her retinas."

Disbelievingly Tom waited for the young woman to return. He didn't have to wait long; she practically sprinted back to the table with two mugs of coffee in her hands. "Here you go _sir,"_ she said as she placed one coffee in front of him and, completely ignoring the girl sitting with him, leaned on the table herself and started to talk to Tom with the second cup of coffee still in her hand. "So are you from Hogwarts?" without waiting for a reply she continued. "Well I used to go there, absolutely hated the place; the teachers were all stuffy, the work was stupid and the rooms were dreadful. Glad I'm out of there now."

"Yeah, I can tell," muttered Esmeralda. "Stuck in a dead end job with no education and flirting with a boy ten years younger than you, well done!"

"Sorry what was that?" snapped the waitress turning round and glaring daggers at her opponent.

"Nothing."

"Yeah I thought so, anyway," she smiled back at Tom. "Unlucky you eh, still stuck in there with all those rules. I mean you aren't allowed to do _anything_ in there are you? But if you want to do anything _against the rules_ come and find me, I won't tell." she hinted suggestively.

Behind the witch's back Esmeralda had to stuff her fist in her mouth to stop her from bursting into fits of laughter.

Tom was looking slightly confused and looked at his 'date' for help, she only raised her eyebrows at him in a suggestive way and her got what the waitress was trying to suggest.

"Ahhhh," breathed Tom. "I…I-I don't think that will be necessary than you."

"Really," questioned the witch. "Don't worry hun, I know what lads your age really want and trust me; it's not all about charm," she nodded towards Esmeralda. "With age comes _experience_."

At this Esmeralda couldn't contain herself and laughed with tears rolling down her cheeks. By now their table had become the focus of the entire coffee shop; even Barty's tear stained ex and Madame Puddifoot herself were watching with bated breath as the waitress stood up and turned to face her.

"What. The. Hell. Do. You. Find. So. Funny?" she asked quietly.

Esmeralda hiccupped to silence.

"Who do you think you are, you little _slut_!" she shouted the last word making everyone jump.

Tom watched as his poor date just shrank into her chair, trying to avoid the inevitable confrontation. He groaned inwardly as he realised that she had tried to warn him before hand and he had ignored her.

"I know your type," the young woman carried on, leaning in close to her face. "Trying to look all sweet and innocent so the bid strong boy will get all protective over you, the poor little mouse. You're pathetic!"

With that Tom stood up, walked round to the woman and tapped her on the back.

"Yes," she started, turning round. "Oh, hi, sorry, I just need to sort out this Bitch then I'll be right whi…"

Tom punched her in the face.

The entire tea shop was in a shocked silence.

He looked at Esmeralda. "Shall we go?"

She nodded and they both walked out of the door with the eyes of everyone in the vicinity on their backs.

As soon as they were half way back to Hogwarts Tom stopped abruptly.

"This will not do," he said to himself, then turned to face his companion. "Miss Vane I…that is to say…what I mean is…oh shit!" With that he kissed her, not a passionate kiss but not a polite kiss either, just a kiss and then he stopped and walked back up to School with his head in the clouds, a new experience for him. Esmeralda just stood there very confused for about ten minutes before turning very red, smiling slightly then following her date back to Hogwarts.

**There you go, again sorry for the wait but I've started school again, ahhhh! But I made a few friends, some of who are big Potter fans too so I'm happy! Also not many people have reviewed this story, maybe because one of the main characters I made up, but hey, they're all fictional if you think about it, it might also be because I'm a rubbish writer, or just because this seems to have no storyline and seems to be going nowhere but it does and it is, wow is it going to go places! But yeah, thanks if you read it, I'd like reviews but I'm not going to ask for them, all I'm going to say is that maybe the lack of reviews was the reason I didn't update for so long. Hint, Hint!**

**Next chapter will be all about Esmeralda and it may contain scenes that disturb some people so don't read it if you don't like reading about bad things happening to young people.**

**Till next time!**


	7. The Life of Esmeralda

**The Dark Lord's Dark Secret**

**The Life of Esmeralda **

**This chapter is dedicated to PoisonLily, thank you for giving me my motivation back!**

_Dear Tom,_

_How has your holiday been so far? I hope things are going well, you were so miserable the last few week of term, but I hope whatever was bothering you has resolved itself._

_Esmeralda_

xxx

_Dear Ez,_

_Things have been fine, thank you for your concern, but let me put your mind at ease by saying that nothing was upsetting me at the end of term, I just don't like being away from Hogwarts. Life outside the castle walls are…less than desirable, you would not understand what I mean and I do not want you to, you should not concern yourself with my hormonal angsting._

_In your letter you asked me a lot of questions but said nothing of yourself. How are you, what have you been doing? Are you going abroad for a break or staying in the country, visiting relatives? These are strange question I know but I have never been anywhere outside of London before (well except for a beach in the middle of nowhere and Hogwarts of course). I would love to hear about the places you have seen._

_Tom_

Xxx

_Dear Tom,_

_I completely understand what you mean about missing Hogwarts, I wish I was back there right now, long essays and all!_

_My holiday has been average, I do not get up to much as I have to look after my mother when I am home, to give my father a break._

_I am sorry to disappoint you but I have never been anywhere outside of England before (except Hogwarts, but you know all about that already). I would love to though, I have always wanted to see at least some of the world. I want to learn all about foreign cultures and find those old tribes of nomads, to see what they use to heal people. I have heard that potion making amongst them has been passed down through generations and that only strangers that have their upmost trust can learn their secrets._

_Maybe someday we will travel the world Tom._

_Ezmeralda_

Xxx

_Dear Ez,_

_I would like that, to travel with you I mean. I shall take you to those tribe and make sure you learn what they know (whether they want to tell you or not)._

_How is your mother, I did not know she was unwell and I am sorry to hear of it._

_Tom_

Xxx

_Oh Tom,_

_Your last letter did make me laugh, 'whether they want to tell you or not'! You are such a sweet heart._

_My mother, well she's not so much unwell as_

"Esmeralda!"

The girl jumped, almost knocking her ink over the letter she was writing.

"Esmeralda, where are you?"

"I'm in my room dad." She called as she hurriedly screwed the cap back on the ink and shoved it under her bed, along with the quill and the letter.

The door banged open, just as she was sitting back down at the desk. "Why are you here, you should be with your mother you ungrateful little brat, all the things she's done for you and you won't even help her when you're home! What have you been up to?"

"Nothing, just…practicing spells." She assured, showing him her wand as proof.

Her father's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you lying to me girl?"

She gulped. "No daddy, of course not. I wouldn't lie to you."

The man glared down at her, "Of course you would, lying's all you're good for, you worthless little tramp. Now get downstairs and help your mother, she fell down the stairs again and got a black eye!"

Esmeralda hurriedly ran past her father and down the stairs, to find her mother in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, clutching a bottle of Fire Whisky and staring into space.

"Mum," asked Esmeralda quietly, not wanting to startle her mother. "It's me, Ez. Are you alright?"

The woman gave no indication that she had heard anything, she just kept on looking in front of her, as if her daughter did not exist.

"Mum," she started again, crouching down next to the older woman. "Dad said you hurt yourself falling down the stairs again…can I have a look?"

Esmeralda was no idiot, she knew perfectly well that her mother had not had an accident of any sort, she knew the cause of her injuries. Her mother was not the only person her father took his frustration out on and the girl herself had taken the brunt of his strength more times than she could count. Sighing, she went to the cupboard to retrieve a bottle of strained and pickled Murtlap tentacles. Kneeling by her mother once more, she applied some of the yellowish liquid to a cloth and dabbed it gently around the woman's left eye where a faint red mark could be seen. After her job was done, the teenager gave her mother a kiss on the cheek before heading back to her room, pausing by her parent's bedroom to hear her father snoring softly.

Entering her own room, she turned to close the door quietly behind her, she did not want to wake her father up or she would not be able to finish writing the letter.

After retrieving her hidden items and placing them on the desk, she scratched the last line out.

_My mother just has a poor constitution and is prone to the flu and migraines a lot, there's nothing to worry about, she'll get better._

'Yeah right,' she thought to herself. There was no way her mother was getting better, after years of physical and psychological abuse, her mother had given up on life. She had stopped eating or dressing herself, she had become withdrawn and had turned to the bottle. She didn't acknowledge anyone around her, only speaking to agree with her husband, so her would by her more alcohol. This had started when Esmeralda was seven and ever since, she had been taking care of all of them as best she could. Speaking of which…

She gasped as she looked at the clock on the desk, five o'clock, she was late getting dinner ready, her father hated it when she was not punctual with preparing the meals.

Hiding her things and quietly running down to the kitchen again, Esmeralda started peeling potatoes, whilst preparing the meal, she lost herself in thought once more. It was not as if she did not like cooking, in fact, the only time she was left to her own devices was when she was in the kitchen and she enjoyed the time to think.

She glanced over at her mother, who was still sitting at the table, staring at nothing. How her parents managed when she was at Howarts was a mystery to her, but they survived. She could only assume that her father took care of her mother when she was not around, as the woman had lost the ability to think for herself a long time ago. After all, it was not as if her father hated them, no he loved them, it was just that he found life…difficult and could not find ways to properly express himself.

It was not like Esmeralda did not love her father either, she still adored him like any child does their dad. She was just a bit more cautious with hers. Had to stir the potion softly, as the saying said. One of the things that she could absolutely not let her father know about was her relationship with Tom. No, that would set him right off, he had always complained about girls who dated before they were twenty, girls who wore too much make up, or who wore robes that were too reviling. "No daughter of mine will ever behave so slutishly' he liked to say whenever he saw a teenage girl in Diagon Alley.

Yes, it was vital that her father never find out about Tom Marvolo Riddle.

**Well, there you go, a chapter, at last…took me long enough!**

**I'm sorry it's a short chapter but the next one will be longer and it will be back at Howarts once more!**

**The pacing of this chapter seemed a bit off to me but I can't figure out what the problem is, if anyone knows can they tell me, please.**


	8. I Gotta Get Back To Hogwarts

'**I Gotta get back to Hogwarts!'**

**Nothing belongs to me, Harry Potter belongs to JK and the title is a quote from 'A Very Potter Musical'**

"The fuck is with this station? Muggles everywhere, makes me feel sick, like I wanna puke!"

Esmeralda gave a none committal hum, she knew better than to point out to her father that King's Cross was in fact a station built by muggles, for muggles.

"Look! Just look at them walking around, thinking they own the Earth, with their…muggleness, what trash!"

Another hum. His daughter was too distracted to really listen to what he was saying; she was keeping her eyes peeled, on the lookout for Tom. If they met and he gave any indication that they were more than just casual acquaintances, then she would have to start saving for a headstone.

"Absolute fuckin' scum o' the Earth!"

The man turned to give one last sneer at the building full of non-magical humans, before passing through the barrier to platform Nine and Three Quarters. Once next to the Hogwarts' Express, Esmeralda's search became more fervent, she absolutely could not, under any circumstance, let the two men in her life meet.

"Now," her father growled in a low voice as he grabbed her arm and held her close so nobody else could hear. "If anybody asks about the bruises…"

"I fell down the stairs, like the clumsy girl I am." The teenager replied dutifully. She knew the drill, ever since she was a child she knew how to deter probing questions.

"Good girl." Her father said as he straightened up. "Now hurry and get on the train. Oh and try learning something in lessons, I know it's hard to get things through that dumb-ass thick skull of yours, but try anyway. I want some half way intelligent conversation when you finish school and come back to care for your mother."

The girl nodded, quickly jumping onto the train after her trunk, levitated there, courtesy of her father.

"Oh and one more thing," he added pleasantly. "Around this age boys will start noticing you, if I ever hear a whisper of you even looking at other men, I'll throw you out on the street like the whore you are. Have a good year!"

And with that the whistle was blown and the train started its long journey to Hogwarts.

Sighing slightly, Esmeralda turned to pick up her trunk.

"You look like you could use a helping hand."

"Tom!" she looked up to see the boy she had been avoiding all morning.

Said boy gave her a rare half smile as he bent down and pulled her trunk along the train to the compartment, where the rest of his gang and her best friend were laughing at some joke.

Xxx

"So then she said, get this right, 'but Barty, I love you'." The boy laughed uncontrollably at his own impression, along with most of the other boys in the compartment.

"I can't believe you Barty," chuckled Rodolphus. "How the hell do you get so many girlfriends when they know you're such a jerk?"

"'Cause I'm not a jerk to them at first."

"Yeah but…don't girls like, I dunno, talk to each other about boys and crap? The amount of chicks you've screwed over, you'd have thought they'd all heard about you by now."

"Which brings me to my second point…girls are idiots!"

"Excuse me?" asked Bellatrix dangerously, glaring at the son of the government hot-shot.

The laughter died out quickly. "Well I mean…what I'm trying to say is…well not **all** girls, there are exceptions to every rule…and you two," he said, gesturing at both females present. "Are the exceptions."

"I'll give you that." Nodded Bellatrix after awhile. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, the now fourth year had become famous for her bad temper and brutal attacks. She fitted well into the gang of miscreants but they were always very careful not to incur her wrath.

"Anyway, while I was in Greece…"

While Rodolphus was telling everyone about the banshee whom he claimed to have defeated single-handedly, Tom's mind was elsewhere. He was thinking as usual, only to be brought out of his reverie by the only person in Hogwarts who he deemed to have a brain. "Are you wearing a ring Tom?"

He glanced down at her, surprised. He had not really expected anyone to notice, especially so quickly. However, he then realised that his 'girlfriend' (he shuddered at the word, it was so…sounded so…common. It made them both sound mediocre, but there was no other way to describe their relationship so he would have to live with it, although he would cut of his own tongue before he referred to Esmeralda as his 'girlfriend') had the hand with the ring on staring her in the face for the whole journey, due to the fact that he had his left arm draped around her shoulders. She would have had to be an idiot not to have spotted it.

"Yes," he replied nonchalantly. "It was my uncles…a family heirloom."

"Oh." Esmeralda nodded, before leaning against his chest once again.

He was grateful that she had not pushed the matter further, she knew him well enough to know when he was hiding something, but she also had the common sense to keep her mouth shut about personal matters when in the presence of other people…no, that wasn't it…it was not common sense, it was courtesy and sensitivity. Tom might be too cold and unsympathetic to possess such traits, but he knew that she did and used them regularly.

He would be questioned by her later, but when no one else was around to listen in. In reality the ring was stolen from his uncle after he put a charm on him to make him believe that he had killed a muggle in the village next to where he lived, when in fact it was Tom himself who had committed the crime after finding out that the worthless muggle was his father.

He was not sure weather to tell Esmeralda about it though, she would not yell at him, or demand him to turn himself in…but she would be disappointed and probably horrified that he would ever kill someone. Sure she had seen him be cruel to people, even punish them, but he always made sure that she was not present when he really lost his temper. She suspected as much, so tried to spend as much time with him as she possibly could.

This year though, he was going to have to be more distant from her, this year he had something planned that she would never approve of and would probably try to stop him doing, this year…he was going to open the Chamber of Secrets.

**Dun dun dun…**

**Well another chapter, sorry it's short but they really are back at Hogwarts next chapter so they should start to lengthen once again!**

**A big thanks to Jofrench22 for reviewing my last chapter…you get a kiss from…whoever the hell you want a kiss from…you can't say fairer than that!**


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